UUVs may be irretrievably lost during underwater operation and be unable to return to the surface for a number of reasons. The UUV may inadvertently travel below a design depth, may be caught by debris or mud, may lose power and be unable to return to the surface, etc. By design, UUVs are often neutrally buoyant, which may require the UUV to utilize a propulsion system to return to the surface. However, propulsion may not be available when power is lost or the UUV incurs software and/or computer failures. The result is that the UUV may drift under water, making recovery nearly impossible.